On the stat sheet, seven catches for 63 yards won’t jump out at you, but for a rookie in his first professional, albeit preseason, game, De’Zhaun Stribling generated a ton of excitement for the Faithful with his performance against the Tennessee Titans. For a player that experts claimed was a reach for the 33rd overall selection of the San Francisco 49ers in this year’s NFL Draft, Stribling has certainly made a name for himself throughout training camp and the early part of the preseason. While his performances should come with tempered expectations, the 49ers rookie wide receiver seems to be setting himself for big opportunities this season.
Initially upon his selection in the draft, many draft gurus and experts declared the pick to be a reach by the 49ers. At 6’ 2” and 207 lbs., the general consensus was that Stribling was a mid-round pick at best coming out of Ole Miss. In his lone season in Oxford, he recorded 55 catches for 811 yards and six touchdowns. While his vertical speed was well documented, his knock to draftniks was his ability to separate, especially on underneath routes. Another knock against him was the route tree he ran while at Ole Miss, which was simplified and did not feature many NFL concepts. Fortunately for Stribling, he did runs different, more elaborate scheme in his time at Oklahoma State prior to transferring to Ole Miss.
In the time after the draft, reports began to emerge that despite the consensus of the experts, NFL scouting departments viewed Stribling in a much different light. Rumors of other teams looking hard at the Rebel prospect were documented and that he could have been drafted soon after pick 33 had the 49ers not selected him. The division rival Los Angeles Rams have also been named as a team that was enamored with him through the draft process.
Throughout training camp, the 49ers’ vision for Stribling has been evident to those watching. A big, physical receiver who can be a deep threat, while not needing to be an immediate starter and learning under future Hall of Famer Mike Evans. Reports through camp have shown that Stribling is already beginning to build a rapport with quarterback Brock Purdy. This, of course, is further evidenced by reports of deep touchdowns and highlight catches between the two.
This past week, the excitement for Stribling hit a fever pitch, as he was the offensive highlight for the 49ers’ first preseason matchup against the Titans. While the statistics were not mind-blowing, it was the effort that mattered. Stribling was attacking the ball and showed strong hands at the catch point. His ability to adjust to the ball in route and use his body to get between the defender and the ball showcased his natural ability and instincts.
While it’s far too early to anoint the rookie as the next coming of Jerry Rice or Terrell Owens, his early showings have created an optimism that has been rare for rookie receivers in the Kyle Shanahan era. The Faithful have every reason to be excited to see what he will bring to this version of the 49ers’ offense alongside Evans, Deebo Samuel, Christian McCaffrey, and George Kittle. And if he’s required to play meaningful snaps early on, there’s hope he can step up into that role.
The future for the 49ers rookie appears to be very bright, and the road to ‘Strib City’ will be a trip we all will be excited to travel!